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Yes, the Patriots lost again in the playoffs. As successful as they have been, they still have the longest title drought out of the big 4 Boston Sports teams. The Patriots have fallen short in the postseason too many times in the past 8 seasons since their last Super Bowl win. In their last 3 playoff loses (Sunday to the Ravens, last years Super Bowl against the Giants, and the loss to the Jets in the Divisional round in 2009), I have come away with the same thoughts at the end of the game.

The Patriots donít have any real wide receivers, they donít have any real defensive backs, they need a defensive coordinator that will challenge Bill Belichickís thoughts, and they need some pass rush.

We these thoughts in mind, I believe the Patriots need a drastic overhaul this offseason. Here is how I would do it based on my concerns listed above.

1. Sign Dwayne Bowe or Mike Wallace.
The Patriots have known that they needed a deep threat for a long time. They have tried to fill that need with cheap players like Chad Ochocino and Brandon Lloyd, but it has not worked. Time for the Patriots to hand out big money to real receivers.

2. Re-sign Aqib Talib and sign Ed Reed.
What? Sign Ed Reed? That is crazy! No it actually isnít . With Ray Lewis gliding off into the sunset of retirement after the Super Bowl, the Ravens will look to make their defense younger. Signing Ed Reed will give the Patriots a veteran presence who can teach a few things to the younger guys.

3. Add Rob Ryan and Eric Mangini to the coaching staff.
The Patriots won championships in the early 2000s with their defensive. Ryan coached the linebackers while Mangini coached the defensive backs. Bringing them back would make our defense a lot better. In fact, Romeo Crennel, the defensive coordinator for the championship teams is out there too. Bring him back. Bring them all back.

4. Trade Tom Brady.
Yes I said it. Trade Tom Brady. It is time. Brady has not been ďTom TerrificĒ in the playoffs for a while and he is no longer young. Brady will be 36 next season. That is not young in the NFL. Look back at the past 4 quarterbacks to win a Super Bowl.
2011: Eli Manning, 31
2010: Aaron Rodgers, 27
2009: Drew Brees, 31
2008: Ben Roethlisberger, 26

The winner this year will be either Joe Flacco, who is 28 or Colin Kaepernick, who is 25. Older QBís are not winning Super Bowls. Trade Brady while he still has value on the open market.

Yes, the Patriots lost again in the playoffs. As successful as they have been, they still have the longest title drought out of the big 4 Boston Sports teams. The Patriots have fallen short in the postseason too many times in the past 8 seasons since their last Super Bowl win. In their last 3 playoff loses (Sunday to the Ravens, last years Super Bowl against the Giants, and the loss to the Jets in the Divisional round in 2009), I have come away with the same thoughts at the end of the game.

The Patriots donít have any real wide receivers, they donít have any real defensive backs, they need a defensive coordinator that will challenge Bill Belichickís thoughts, and they need some pass rush.

We these thoughts in mind, I believe the Patriots need a drastic overhaul this offseason. Here is how I would do it based on my concerns listed above.

1. Sign Dwayne Bowe or Mike Wallace.
The Patriots have known that they needed a deep threat for a long time. They have tried to fill that need with cheap players like Chad Ochocino and Brandon Lloyd, but it has not worked. Time for the Patriots to hand out big money to real receivers.

2. Re-sign Aqib Talib and sign Ed Reed.
What? Sign Ed Reed? That is crazy! No it actually isnít . With Ray Lewis gliding off into the sunset of retirement after the Super Bowl, the Ravens will look to make their defense younger. Signing Ed Reed will give the Patriots a veteran presence who can teach a few things to the younger guys.

3. Add Rob Ryan and Eric Mangini to the coaching staff.
The Patriots won championships in the early 2000s with their defensive. Ryan coached the linebackers while Mangini coached the defensive backs. Bringing them back would make our defense a lot better. In fact, Romeo Crennel, the defensive coordinator for the championship teams is out there too. Bring him back. Bring them all back.

4. Trade Tom Brady.
Yes I said it. Trade Tom Brady. It is time. Brady has not been ďTom TerrificĒ in the playoffs for a while and he is no longer young. Brady will be 36 next season. That is not young in the NFL. Look back at the past 4 quarterbacks to win a Super Bowl.
2011: Eli Manning, 31
2010: Aaron Rodgers, 27
2009: Drew Brees, 31
2008: Ben Roethlisberger, 26

The winner this year will be either Joe Flacco, who is 28 or Colin Kaepernick, who is 25. Older QBís are not winning Super Bowls. Trade Brady while he still has value on the open market.

Talib and Vollmer need to be resigned/tagged/whatever. Welker's time is up. He just doesn't have the hands you need at WR to be paid top dollar. If he can't use his body to catch it, he probably won't.

Ras-I Dowling better be healthy next year or else I will assume BB cuts him.

Dowling is a real X-factor for us next year. By the end of the game, I realized that CB play had actually become a strength of ours with Dennard and Talib playing. Dennard was a huge bright spot for us yesterday. He's become a damn fine player. If Dowling could be healthy, we're talking about the potential of a top 10 CB trio IMO.

Then at safety I think McCourty is a great FS and Tavon Wilson would make a good 3rd safety/sub package specialist (not sure he's comfortable enough covering downfield to be a starting safety - he's more comfortable up near the line covering from there). Gregory is a smart player, but anything that requires too much athleticism and physical talent is a struggle for him. Ideally, he's replaced this offseason (although I think they can live with him at SS if they make the needed improvements in other areas.

We need two pass rushers this offseason - one that pushes the middle from the DT spot and another Mark Anderson type specialist off the edge. I'm assuming Jones will be much better/more consistent next season, but I still believe we need another premium pass rusher (even if it's just a specialist) to help the nickel D. Rotate those guys and always have fresh pass rusher flying off the edge. And in the middle, they need someone next to Wilfork that gets a push. Love is just a plugger (which is valuable, don't get me wrong) and Deadrick is a solid player, but not good enough. Should be a backup.

3.) Slot CB

Dennard played great and really came on this season. He and Talib are a good starting tandem. The slot CB spot is still a problem though. Arrington is smart and tackles, but he can't cover for ****. He's better in the slot, but he still shouldn't be playing. Dowling is the answer if healthy, but that's a big if. You can't fix everything in one offseason, so I don't see too much turnover here if Talib is resigned. I think they'll go into next year with Talib and Dennard starting, Dowling given the opportunity to earn the slot job and Arrington/Cole waiting in the wings.

4.) Coverage LB

I like all three of our starting LBs, but we need a reserve behind them that can cover. A vet FA signing would be perfect here.

5.) Starting SS

Gregory is smart and instinctive, but he isn't very fast or strong. He can't make plays unless it's out of deceiving the offense. If we fix all the things above, he's fine. But this is probably the easiest position to fill of all the needs I've listed so I'd be wary of I'm Gregory.

Dowling is a real X-factor for us next year. By the end of the game, I realized that CB play had actually become a strength of ours with Dennard and Talib playing. Dennard was a huge bright spot for us yesterday. He's become a damn fine player. If Dowling could be healthy, we're talking about the potential of a top 10 CB trio IMO.

Then at safety I think McCourty is a great FS and Tavon Wilson would make a good 3rd safety/sub package specialist (not sure he's comfortable enough covering downfield to be a starting safety - he's more comfortable up near the line covering from there). Gregory is a smart player, but anything that requires too much athleticism and physical talent is a struggle for him. Ideally, he's replaced this offseason (although I think they can live with him at SS if they make the needed improvements in other areas.

We need two pass rushers this offseason - one that pushes the middle from the DT spot and another Mark Anderson type specialist off the edge. I'm assuming Jones will be much better/more consistent next season, but I still believe we need another premium pass rusher (even if it's just a specialist) to help the nickel D. Rotate those guys and always have fresh pass rusher flying off the edge. And in the middle, they need someone next to Wilfork that gets a push. Love is just a plugger (which is valuable, don't get me wrong) and Deadrick is a solid player, but not good enough. Should be a backup.

3.) Slot CB

Dennard played great and really came on this season. He and Talib are a good starting tandem. The slot CB spot is still a problem though. Arrington is smart and tackles, but he can't cover for ****. He's better in the slot, but he still shouldn't be playing. Dowling is the answer if healthy, but that's a big if. You can't fix everything in one offseason, so I don't see too much turnover here if Talib is resigned. I think they'll go into next year with Talib and Dennard starting, Dowling given the opportunity to earn the slot job and Arrington/Cole waiting in the wings.

4.) Coverage LB

I like all three of our starting LBs, but we need a reserve behind them that can cover. A vet FA signing would be perfect here.

5.) Starting SS

Gregory is smart and instinctive, but he isn't very fast or strong. He can't make plays unless it's out of deceiving the offense. If we fix all the things above, he's fine. But this is probably the easiest position to fill of all the needs I've listed so I'd be wary of I'm Gregory.

Well said on everything, after the game yesterday this is exactly what i tweeted we needed. We do need a coverage linebacker bad. its awful. I think the offense is missing that big WR. Gronk definitely needs to be healthy for a season

What the pats really need is depth. Starting wise, we have all the talent and it's still a young defense. Wilfork is the only one over 30.

Depth all over is what we need. I mean look all over the depth chart, is there any defensive player you would trust to come in if the starter was injured? Perhaps Cunningham/Deadrick on the DE, and Chung as a SS but that's it. All of our backup linebackers are special teamers. Cole and Arrington suck. Imagine Wilfork going down? We need depth at LB, CB, and DT. Doesn't have to be a 4-5 start signing, but guys who can go in the game and not get ran over from the opposing offense.

We might also have one of the smallest secondaries in the league. No one is over 6 foot, and there are a lot of 5'10s in Arrington, McCourty, Dennard, Chung, Cole. Height isn't everything, but a big physical defensive back playing on the line and jamming receivers would be great.

This year's safety FA class looks reallyyyy good. Reed, Goldson, Byrd, Delmas, Moore, Phillips, Quinn, Brown. I would be happy bringing any of those guys in

Originally Posted by More-Than-Most

Nope... Sorry but no cheaters allowed... If you are caught cheating you shouldnt be next to guys that have done nothing wrong... Lets put a cheater like brady next to some of the best QBs ever like Young and Montana

He has cheated several times and now lies about it and looks like a scumbag pos

Time for Welker to move on. He will be 32 at the start of next season, cost a lot of money that is better spent elsewhere, and drops way to many passes.

BB should stop getting cute with his secondary draft picks, and start drafting corners and safeties with the following properties: at least 6ft tall, are not made of glass, and actually know how to play football.

Here is a list of the DBs on the roster ATM:

Arrington: 5-10, doesn't know how to play football
Cole: 5-10, see Arrington
Dennard: 5-10, had an alright rookie year
Talib: 6-1, free agent, oft injuried
Ebner: 6-0, plays rugby
McCourty: 5-10, actually very good as a safety
Williams: 5-11, who?
Wilson: 6-0, complete waste of a second round pick
Dowling: 6-1, made of glass

Outside of Dennard/McCourty, not a very inspiring group

This team also needs someone who can rush the passer, and an LB who can replace Spikes in passing situations.

You guys overreact with Arrington. He is fine as a nickel and slot guy and an excellent ST guy (he's a great tackler). When he plays out of position, he gets exposed. I won't be surprised if he's back because he was good for us in those roles.

Get another decent DB. Enough with these waiver wire guys. Our time with Brady is running short. Construct a secondary that isnt reliant on one player(Talib). Tag and trade Welker, he is a fantastic receiver but i believe we can get a great return for him and can be replaced, UNLESS the money is right for the pats.

Number one priority Resign Talib
Trade welker for picks or resign if money is right
Trade up for Dee Millner (a stretch)